In today’s Digest we cover Google introducing a new AI commerce standard, Nvidia appointing its first-ever CMO, and Trump pushing back on Netflix’s Warner Bros. acquisition.

Google introduces new AI commerce standard

Google has unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP): a new open standard for AI agent-based shopping. Developed in collaboration with companies including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target and Walmart, the protocol is designed to allow AI agents to operate across multiple stages of the customer journey, from product discovery through to post-purchase support, without requiring separate agent connections for each function.

According to Google, UCP will work alongside existing agentic frameworks such as the Agent Payments Protocol, Agent2Agent and Model Context Protocol, giving businesses and developers the flexibility to adopt only the extensions relevant to their needs. 

They plan to roll out the standard for eligible product listings in AI-powered search and the Gemini apps, enabling US shoppers to complete purchases directly through Google using Google Pay and stored delivery details, with a PayPal payment option to soon follow.

Nvidia appoints first-ever CMO

Nvidia has appointed Google marketing executive Alison Wagonfeld to become its first chief marketing officer, as the chipmaker looks to strengthen its brand and communications amid rapid growth driven by AI. Wagonfeld, who will report directly to chief executive Jensen Huang, will consolidate marketing and communications responsibilities that were previously spread across several leaders, according to a person familiar with the move. She is set to take up the role in February, with all members of Nvidia’s marketing and communications teams reporting to her.

Wagonfeld confirmed the appointment in a post on LinkedIn, marking the end of nearly a decade at Google, where she most recently led marketing for the company’s cloud computing division. 

Trump pushes back on Netflix’s Warner Bros. acquisition

Trump has weighed in on the ongoing battle for Warner Bros., potentially giving a boost to David Ellison’s Paramount bid. Trump reposted an opinion piece from One America News criticising Netflix’s board-approved USD$83bn (£61.4bn) effort to acquire Warner Bros’ streaming and studio assets.

The piece, authored by lawyer John M. Pierce framed the deal as a threat not just to competition but to “free expression and America’s cultural pluralism”. Titled Stop The Netflix Cultural Takeover, it called on the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to prioritise antitrust scrutiny of the merger, arguing that “Netflix should compete, not conquer” as well as warning against any company dominating the national imagination through “raw market power and ideological activism.”